/ 12:00 a.m. CT (0600 GMT)

Hubble coin in focus for 2020

: The Hubble Space Telescope may be depicted on a U.S. coin 30 years after its launch. The American Innovation $1 Coin Program may include the observatory as Maryland's entry in the series in recognition of the state hosting the control centers for the telescope. Both the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and Commission for Fine Arts chose a design featuring the Hubble in orbit with NASA's legacy logotype on display.

/ 12:00 a.m. CT (0600 GMT)

'Pin'-nacle achievement

: NASA's first class of astronauts to graduate under the agency's Artemis program will be presented with lapel pins that link them to the original space men. The history behind the small silver (and gold) pins can be traced back almost 60 years, when the number of astronauts grew from just seven to 29 and Mercury was joined by the Gemini and Apollo programs.

/ 11:15 a.m. CT (1715 GMT)

Artemis-era astronauts

: NASA honored the first class of astronauts to graduate under its Artemis program on Friday (Jan. 10). Eleven Americans and two Canadians have become eligible for mission assignments to the space station and the moon. Nicknamed the "Turtles," the class is Canada's fourth and NASA's 22nd group of astronauts and includes six women and seven men.

/ 2:15 p.m. CT (2015 GMT)

Starliner's Snoopy

: As seen in a new video released Wednesday (Jan. 15), Snoopy, the "world famous astronaut," returned to space in December, flying on board Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. Serving as a zero-g indicator, Snoopy's flight extended his long association with U.S. spaceflight. Floating weightless during the orbital flight test, the Snoopy doll sported Boeing's mission patch.

/ 12:00 a.m. CT (0600 GMT)

'Make space for women'

: Inspired by the all woman spacewalk, Olay is launching its own mission to #MakeSpaceForWomen. The skin care company is airing a star-studded Super Bowl ad featuring TV journalist Katie Couric, actress Taraji P Henson and former NASA astronaut Nicole Stott. The space-themed spot will promote engaging young women in science and technology through Girls Who Code.

/ 10:35 a.m. CT (1635 GMT)

Crew Dragon's in-flight abort test

: SpaceX destroyed one of its Falcon 9 rockets as part of a test demonstrating the company's ability to safely launch astronauts. The Falcon 9 fell to Earth in pieces after it flew a Crew Dragon to altitude to perform an in-flight abort. The uncrewed flight test was the last major milestone SpaceX had to complete before launching its first astronauts to the space station.

/ 8:00 a.m. CT (1400 GMT)

Astronaut Hall of Fame

: The United States Astronaut Hall of Fame will add three record-setting shuttle and space station vets in May. The 2020 class of inductees, Michael Lopez-Alegria, Pamela Melroy and Scott Kelly have 10 missions between them, on which they set duration and spacewalking milestones. With their addition, the Astronaut Hall of Fame's ranks will total more than 100 honorees.

/ 9:00 a.m. CT (1500 GMT)

LEGO launching ISS

: LEGO is releasing an 864-piece detailed model of the International Space Station. Launching for sale on Feb. 1, the brick-built orbiting laboratory includes an articulated robotic arm and two rotating solar array joints. The $70 set also has the toy pieces needed to build a to-scale shuttle orbiter, cargo vehicles and a display stand. Two microfigure astronauts complete the toy kit.

/ 4:00 p.m. CT (2200 GMT)

S.S. Robert H. Lawrence

: The next Cygnus spacecraft to launch to the space station has been named for the first African American to be chosen as an astronaut. The S.S. Robert H. Lawrence was christened for the Manned Orbiting Lab (MOL) aerospace research pilot who died in a jet crash in 1967. Northrop Grumman said that it was proud to honor Lawrence's prominent place in space history.

/ 3:00 p.m. CT (2100 GMT)

Space-baked cookies

: The first ever food to be baked in space — DoubleTree by Hilton's chocolate chip cookies — are back on Earth and one may be Smithsonian-bound. Baked using Zero G Kitchen's and Nanoracks' Zero G Oven, the cookies took longer and needed more heat but still produced a sweet smell on board the space station.

/ 5:35 p.m. CT (2335 GMT)

Space Mirror memorial

: For the first time, a commercial spacecraft pilot has been added to the U.S. memorial for fallen astronauts. At a ceremony held Saturday (Jan. 25), Michael T. Alsbury's name was unveiled on the black granite face of the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Alsbury died in 2014 in the crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane.

/ 2:00 p.m. CT (2000 GMT)

Axiom Segment

: NASA has selected Axiom Space of Houston to attach at least one new commercial module, if not a new segment, to the International Space Station. Targeted for launch in 2024, Axiom's facilities will be used to expand commercial activity in low Earth orbit, prior to the Axiom Segment separating to become its own complex.

/ 9:00 a.m. CT (1500 GMT)

Making space

: Nicole Stott's second stint as an astronaut will not return to her to orbit, but has an astronomical reach. Talking about her role in Olay's Super Bowl ad (which debuted online on Thursday [Jan 30]), Stott described being impressed by the skin care company's desire to cast a real-life astronaut for its star-studded space mission.

/ 5:30 p.m. CT (2330 GMT)

Spitzer shuttered

: NASA on Thursday (Jan. 30) shut off the Spitzer Space Telescope, 16 years after its launch. One of the four Great Observatories, the Spitzer's infrared view led to insights and discoveries about exoplanets, interstellar dust and distant galaxies. Its mission complete, the dormant Spitzer will continue in its Earth-trailing orbit.